The Mystery of Life
by Wheredreamsaremade123
Summary: Elena Gilbert is one of the best lawyers in New York City. She has everything she wants... Except for love. What will happen when a case brings her to Damon Salvatore, young, cocky and daring businessman? Will he change her life? Will it be in the good way or a bad way? Delena story with some Klaroline and a little bit of Beremy and Jalaric. Completely human. AU/AH.
1. Comeback

_Hey guys!_

_I wasn't really planning to post this story so soon because of my other story, but I just couldn't wait! _

_I don't think I need to explain, I think that you have a good picture of the story if you read the summary. :) _

_Please, review, let me know what you think! _

* * *

Elena Gilbert closed her laptop, sighing. She sank deeper into her incredibly expensive, but heavenly comfortable office chair, rubbing her eyes. This case is going to destroy her. It was completely dark outside, except for the city lights. Elena totally lost track of time and she had no idea what time it is. She checked her phone and saw that it was past 11 pm. She let out a huge yawn and stretched her arms, slowly getting up from the chair because if she doesn't leave the office now, she'll fall asleep here. Not that it would be a first time. She took her bag and her laptop and walked out of the door. The building was dark and empty because all of the normal people went home hours ago. But Elena wasn't like the others. She was incredibly committed to her job and she loved it with all of her heart, even though it was extremely hard and often very stressful.

Elena locked the door and let out a sigh. It was finally Friday and tomorrow she will be going home to MysticFalls. She hasn't seen her parents in a long time because her job was stopping her from going home for several days. But this time she took some free time and decided to finally visit her parents. She missed them so much. She missed mom's delicious meals (let's face it, Elena hasn't eaten properly since her last visit) and dad's lame jokes. And there was also her little brother…. Well, he wasn't exactly so little anymore. Elena really hoped that he will be home too because she couldn't remember the last time she saw him and she really missed him. He was too busy with college, like she was with work. That made her kind of sad, but they were both extremely successful and their parents were so proud of their kids so that made Elena proud too.

The buzzing of the phone broke Elena out of her thinking. After couple of moments digging through her bag, she finally managed to find it.

"Hey, Care. What's up?" Elena didn't even realize how tired she sounded.

"Hey, Lena! Where are you?" Caroline cheerfully squeaked on the phone. There was noise in the background, Elena heard music and people talking. Her friend was probably in the bar or café or something.

"Umm…"

"Elena Gilbert! Are you still working?" she didn't sound so cheerful anymore. There was anger and disapproval in her voice now.

Elena rolled her eyes. "I'm heading home now, okay?"

"You promised last week that you'll come and hang with me and guys from work this Friday! Ugh, I can't believe you forgot!"

"I know, I'm so sorry, Caroline. But you know I'm going home tomorrow and I really needed to work on the Anderson's case. The trial is in three weeks and I still have no idea how I'm going to pull that off," Elena said, rubbing her forehead.

"You are getting too attached to mrs. Anderson. And you know we're not supposed to get attached to our clients."

"Yeah, I know. But tell me how should I not get attached to this? I mean, it's really hard… Her case is so sad and heartbreaking and…" Elena's heard her own voice cracking.

"Ugh, why do you have to be so freaking sympathetic? If you keep doing this, if your obsession with work doesn't stop, you're going to end up alone with 25 cats." Elena knew her best friend too well to take Caroline's outbursts seriously so she just laughed.

"Seriously? You have nothing to say at this?" Caroline was getting really annoyed by Elena's attitude.

"No, actually, I don't," she was trying hard not to laugh again because she knew it would make Caroline even more pissed off than she already was.

Caroline let out a sigh, slowly giving up. "God, Elena… Are you even coming to the Pub?"

"I wish I could, but I'm so tired and I have to get up early tomorrow…"

"Yeah, yeah, okay. Then I guess I'll see you after you come back. Bye."

"Bye. Say hello to everyone," Elena said, getting in the elevator.

Elena couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her best friend. She hated ditching her like this, especially because of Caroline's speeches about the importance of friendship. Elena loved Caroline, she really did. They were friends since she came to New York and started working for the Loockwood Lawyer Company. But Caroline had this ability to drive Elena crazy, usually with bitching about Elena's huge commitment to work and her attachment to their clients. Elena really couldn't help it, she was always compassionate and very emotional. Well, except in the courtroom where she was ruthless. Maybe that's why she was considered one of the best lawyers in Manhattan.

There were ten more floors to go. Elena leaned her head on the cold metal of the elevator and let her mind wander at the first time she saw mrs. Anderson.

* * *

_"Hey, Elena, we have a new case. And you're going to cover it," her boss's son appeared on the door, smiling pitifully. _

_Elena groaned. "But, Tyler… You know I have work all over my head, I don't think I can handle working on another case!" she made a desperate face, begging Tyler to ease up._

_"I know, believe me, I get it. It's just… Everyone else is very busy too and I think you might be perfect for this case." _

_"You say that every time, Ty," Elena frowned, glaring at him. Tyler Lockwood was her friend for years, since she started working in his father's company and they agreed not to use formal names ages ago. _

_"That's because you are perfect for everything! Seriously, you're incredible," he stepped in Elena's office, grinning. _

_"Sucking up isn't going to help you," Elena still hadn't taken her eyes off of bunch of papers on her desk. _

_"Elena, please. We're going to pay you a lot for this, you know that we are. I talked to my dad and we both agreed that you're the one who should take this case because you have a chance to do something amazing," Tyler sat in the chair on the other side of the desk and looked at Elena with pleading eyes. _

_"Okay, tell me about the client," Elena finally gave in and Tyler grinned, satisfied. _

_"So… Her name is Emily Anderson. She's been abused by her husband. He also abused their children who are six and nine years old." As Tyler talked, Elena's look softened and her lips trembled. She's never dealt with a situation like this before and she knew it will be pretty emotional for her. _

_"The woman's uncle is some rich old guy so he's paying all that, don't worry about it. And also…" Tyler was interrupted by Elena's secretary who opened the door._

_"Um… Sorry for interrupting, miss Gilbert, but mrs. Anderson is here to see you." _

_Elena gave Tyler a furious look. "Seriously? You told her to come before you asked me?" Tyler shrugged and smiled innocently. _

_"Thank you, Megan, tell her she can come in," Tyler said instead of Elena, which earned him another intimidating glare. _

_Megan left and after a couple of moments a blond woman in her mid-thirties appeared at the door. Elena couldn't help but stare when she entered her office.. Mrs. Anderson was looking down, like she was afraid or ashamed to lift her head up. She had a black eye and was trying to cover up her arms so Elena assumed she had bruises all over her body. She looked miserable and Elena felt terribly sorry for her from the moment she saw her._

* * *

Elena got home and went straight to her bedroom. She threw herself on the bed and let out a sigh. As soon as her head touched the pillow, her eyes began to shut. She didn't even bother to change into her pajama. She slept like a baby. Until her phone rang in 3 am. Elena groaned and grabbed her phone from the nightstand. She picked up, her eyes still closed.

"Hello?" she mumbled.

"Elena! Hi!" it was Caroline. She seemed extremely cheery. "I just wanted to tell you that I love you soooo much," too cheery, Elena thought. She sounded tipsy. Which she probably was. "You are my best friend on the whole world and I'm very, very sorry that I snapped at you earlier. I just think you should loosen up a bit, ya know?" Caroline giggled.

"Thanks, Caroline, apology accepted," Elena said, still angry because Caroline woke her up, but she smiled anyway because her friend was just hilarious when she was drunk.

"Great," Caroline giggled again.

"Hey, Care, you coming?" Elena heard a male voice in the background.

"Caroline, are you with Tyler again?" Elena asked, laughing.

"Well, yeah, we just walked out from the Pub and now we're gonna continue this party somewhere else," Caroline couldn't stop giggling.

"That's great, have fun," Elena said happily.

"Oh, I will. Bye sweetie, I love you."

"Love you too, Care."

Elena hung up and sighed. Caroline was different than her in many aspects. Caroline loved partying and having fun with lots of different men and right now that was Tyler Lockwood, their boss's son. Tyler was a great guy, very outgoing and friendly (and also incredibly hot), but their relationship was nothing serious. That was probably because they were so alike- they didn't want any commitment yet and they were just having fun. Elena, on the other hand, wanted something completely different.

She wanted someone who will love her no matter what, someone she could talk to about everything, someone who will understand her and support her, but still challenge her and have fun with her. Even though she didn't want to admit, Elena kind of liked cheesy stuff. She secretly wanted that kind of relationship she watched in incredible amount of romantic comedies. And right now it seemed to her that she will never find something like that. In today's world, everything is about sex. People, usually drunk, meet in some lousy bar with crappy music and disgusting cheap alcohol, they don't even bother to get to know each other, and after some time, they end up screwing on the first place they find. Elena had wondered where was that magic she's been dreaming of since she was just a kid.

* * *

"Oh, shit," Elena cursed, nervously tapping the wheel with her fingers. She got stuck in the traffic and she couldn't see the end of the cars in front of and behind her. Taking a sip of her coffee, she grabbed her phone and dialed the number. The phone rang a few times until Elena heard the answering machine.

Elena coughed and started talking awkwardly. "Hey, Matt, it's me… Um, I just… I just wanted to tell you that I'm really, really sorry that we didn't get to see each other before I left. I was really busy and I assume you were too so I guess we can meet up when I get back. Anyways, I'm so sorry… Okay, call me when you get this. Bye."

And yet again, Elena let _I love you _slip from her lips. She just couldn't bring herself to tell him how she feels about him. Maybe it was because she still wasn't sure about her feelings. And she should've figured it out by now, Elena and Matt have been seeing each other for almost six months now. Matt already poured her heart to her and she couldn't help but feel guilty that she doesn't feel the same about him. It just somehow didn't feel right. And they were really having a good time together. Matt made her laugh, they could talk about anything and he was really sweet, not to mention awfully handsome, but Elena just wasn't _in love _with him. She actually considered him more as a friend. Even though she knew it was selfish of her to stall him like that, Elena didn't want to break up with him. She just didn't want to be alone. And she hoped that maybe, just maybe, she will eventually develop real feelings for Matt.

* * *

"Grayson! Come out, Elena's here!" Miranda Gilbert shouted excitedly, watching her daughter pulling over to the driveway. As soon as Elena got out of the car, she ran over to her and hugged her tightly.

"Mom. I can't breath," Elena said, struggling to catch a breath. Miranda loosened her grip, stroking her daughter's long, brown hair.

"What took you so long? We've been worried, honey," she whispered.

Elena pulled away so she could face her mother. "Got into traffic. But now I'm finally here," she grinned and put her arms around her dad, who just got out of the house.

"Well, let's come inside, sweetheart, it's freezing out here," Grayson said, taking his daughter's arm.

"Is Jeremy coming?" Elena asked when they came inside.

Miranda smiled. "Yes, your brother should be here by Monday."

"Oh, so they're finally letting him out of that prison?" Elena laughed soundly, giving her father a significant glare.

He frowned. "Hey, I went to med school! And it's not a prison!" he sounded insulted. Elena always loved teasing her dad. When he got angry at her, it would make the vein on his forehead pop. His eyes always narrowed and his lips tightened. Elena found it very fun to watch him.

"Hey, calm down, you two," Miranda stopped them. "Jeremy says he's got a surprise for us."

"What kind of surprise?" Elena asked curiously.

"No idea. He won't tell us," Grayson shrugged.

Elena's younger brother, Jeremy, was in college. He studied medicine, just like their father, who's been a doctor for years. And it wasn't because Grayson made him go there, Jeremy just loved helping people and he knew what he wanted to be since he was a kid. But he was very busy with college, just like Elena with her job, which made those rare family reunions so precious. Elena couldn't wait to see her brother. It's been months since she last saw him.

* * *

Elena moaned as she put another bite of mom's meatloaf in her mouth. She just couldn't help it- it was so damn good.

"Eat up, honey, you've gotten really skinny since the last time I saw you," Miranda said with concern all over her face.

"Yeah, that's why I'm here. I'm surely going to gain a couple of pounds from all these food," Elena smiled, chewing.

Grayson was also giving her a serious look. Elena swallowed, knowing the lecture's coming up. "Your mother's right, Lena. How come you're so skinny? Do you eat anything at all?"

"I do eat, dad."

Miranda shook her head in disbelief. "I know the problem here. You work too much. Every time I call you, you have your nose in paperwork or getting ready for the court and doing whatever you lawyers are doing. That's why you don't eat enough and that's why you have so little free time. And your love life…"

Elena laughed ironically, cutting her mother off. "Oh, so now this is about my love life?" she rolled her eyes, putting her fork down. She didn't feel so hungry anymore.

"No, honey, my point is, you should slow down a bit. You're 27 years old. You have your whole carrier in front of you and that can't wait. But you can't be alone forever. I can't remember the last time you've been in a serious relationship."

"Mom, I don't really want to talk about it with you. Because if I do, we might fight and I don't want to argue with you. Don't worry about me, I'm not all alone in the world, okay?" she looked at her mom, who just nodded.

"And I love my job. I just love it. But that doesn't mean I don't have a private life. So stop lecturing me because I can take care of myself. I'm a big girl."

"I just want the best for you, Elena," Miranda said gently, her eyes warming up.

"I know, mom," Elena put a grip on her hand. "I know you do."

* * *

Elena walked into the Grill. She was so late, Rebekah's going to kill her for it. It's been ages since she last saw her friend and now she's late. It was all her mom's fault. She made her play board games with her and dad, even though Elena told them she had somewhere else to be. She just hoped Rebekah's still waiting for her. She started searching the Grill for her, standing on her toes to see better when she hit something firm. Elena felt the strong smell of bourbon which was now all over her jeans.

"Fuck!" she cursed, lifting her head up so that she could see who got her wet.

As she moved her hair away from her face, her eyes met the most beautiful eyes she's ever seen.

* * *

**I think you all know to whom those eyes belong! ;) **

**Thanks for reading and please, REVIEW, I want to know if you guys liked it and if you did, I'll continue it! **

**Love you all xo**


	2. Hangovers and encounters

_Hello, beautiful people!_

_I didn't plan to update this so soon, but I guess the inspiration hit me and it's probably because of the positive response I'm getting for this story._

_Thank you SO much to all of you who followed, favorited and reviewed! It means a lot to me! _

_Here it is, chapter 2. Hope you'll enjoy it :)_

* * *

Crystal blue, ocean colored eyes were piercing through her, making her insides burn. Elena had no idea how long she's been staring. When she finally managed to pull herself together, she saw to whom those eyes belong. The rest of him was as beautiful as his eyes. Raven black, messy hair, strong jaw, incredibly hot body, muscular arms and a playful smirk spread across his lips. There was something so familiar about him. About those eyes. Elena's definitely seen them before. She just couldn't bring a name to his face.

"Great, now you spilled my drink," he said flatly, his voice sexy and deep.

"I spilled your drink? You just came out of nowhere and spilled your stinky bourbon all over me!" Elena said angrily, trying hard not to be distracted by his hotness again.

"I wouldn't spill it _all over you_," he said, imitating her, "if you'd watched where you were going!" He raised his voice now, staring straight into her eyes.

After a couple of moments looking at each other, Elena finally replied. "Well, don't expect an apology from me because you're not going to get one. Besides, it's not my fault." She said sharply, her face very close to his. After giving him another intimidating glare, Elena left, pacing furiously through the crowd. "Jerk," she mumbled angrily.

"I heard that!" she heard behind her, but didn't turn around.

"Hey. I'm so, so, so sorry I'm late," Elena placed a kiss on her friend's cheek.

"Where the hell have you been? I had to drink a half of the bar while I was waiting for you," the blonde said with strong British accent which Elena loved so much. There was an empty martini glass in front of her.

"Like that was a problem to you," Elena laughed, sitting on the chair across her. "Don't ask anything. Bad day. First I got into traffic, then my parents gave me a lecture like I'm six years old and made me to participate in the family night. Oh, and after all that, some idiot spilled his drink all over me," she sighed, leaning in her chair.

"And what about Matt?" Rebekah asked like she didn't hear what Elena just said.

"What about him?" Elena looked confused.

"How are things with him?"

Elena frowned. "I'm not sure what to tell you, to be honest. We haven't heard for days. And I can't really say I miss him. I'm not sure if he even misses me."

"So things aren't really good between you two?"

"No, that's not it. We're fine, it's just… There is no spark, you know?"

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "What? I thought he's great in the sack. I mean, just look at him," she grinned.

Elena laughed, her cheeks blushing. "You know that's not what I meant, Bekah. We're not in love. And I think that we're both too old to just fool around," she sighed.

"You need something to drink," Rebekah said, smirking.

"No."

"Yes."

"No, Rebekah, no alcohol for me. You know how it always ends."

"Yeah, you end up relaxed a bit and not as uptight as you usually are. What's bad in it?"

Elena glared at Rebekah, rolling her eyes. The blonde grinned and raised her hand to call the waiter. "Two more here!" she yelled.

"I'll kill you," Elena said angrily through her teeth.

"Oh, come on, darling, one drink won't kill you."

For the millionth time, Elena wondered how the hell they've managed to remain friends for all this time. She and Rebekah were inseparable since the first grade and even then, they were complete opposites. Elena always thought through every situation, she was always careful and patient. Rebekah, on the other hand, was totally crazy. She was reckless, spontaneous and wild. That's probably the reason Elena loved her so much. She knew how to take a break and forget the seriousness of life for a second. She knew how to enjoy in life. She did what she wanted, she always followed her heart and never cared about what anyone else would think about her. There were some times Elena wished she could be like that.

* * *

Of course, one drink soon turned into two, three and maybe a couple more drinks. Who counts? After an hour or so, Elena and Rebekah were all over the dance floor. Just as Rebekah caught some random guy and started making out with him, Elena's stomach started to reject all of the alcohol she put in herself. She ran to the bathroom as quick as she could, considering she was stumbling all over the Grill. After she threw out the content of her stomach in the toilet, Elena remembered why she doesn't drink.

When she managed to calm herself down, she opened the door and saw a man standing in the bathroom. All she could see was his back, but she had to admit he had a nice ass. But what the hell was he doing in girl's bathroom?

He slowly turned around and made Elena's jaw drop.

"You," she said furiously.

The mystery guy smirked, those blue eyes piercing through her again. "You know this is men's bathroom?" he cocked his head and watched her with amusement all over his face.

Elena didn't know how to response to that so she just stared at him, completely confused as everything around her was spinning.

The guy laughed, his look softening a little bit. "You okay? It sounded like someone was dying over there."

"Like you care," Elena snapped.

"Ooh, feisty. I like you already," that smirk was still playing on his lips. Elena opened her mouth to say something, but she lost the balance before she had a chance to make a sound. Just when she thought she was going to fall on the floor, she felt a pair of strong arms catching her. She was now face to face with that incredibly hot, but also incredibly annoying guy. She could feel his breath on her face.

After staring at him for what seemed like an eternity, Elena slowly pulled away.

"What are you doing?" she asked, annoyed.

"I think I just kept you from falling to the floor because you're too wasted to do it yourself."

"Oh, shut up! You know that's not what I meant!" she raised her voice.

"Okay, then enlighten me, miss Know It All. What did you mean? What am I doing?" he crossed his arms over his chest and looked at her.

"Well, first you acted like a complete asshole when _you_ bumped into _me_ and spilled your fucking drink all over me! And now you ask me if I'm okay? What kind of sick game are you playing?"

"I'm not playing any game," he shrugged, looking at Elena like she was completely insane.

"You know what? Go to hell!" Elena grabbed her bag and stormed out of the door. She suddenly felt completely sober.

* * *

Elena woke up with the worst hangover ever. Damn Rebekah and her martinis. She rubbed her forehead and checked her phone. No missed calls or texts from Matt. Looks like they miss each other _very _much. It was one pm. Elena couldn't remember when she slept for that long. She slowly got up and headed to the bathroom, groaning. When she started getting flashbacks from last night, she felt incredibly embarrassed. She just hoped that she'll never see that man again.

"Elena, come down! Jeremy is here!" Elena heard her mom yelling excitedly. She quickly got dressed and made her way down the stairs. When she saw her brother, she hugged him tightly and closed her eyes, letting out a deep breath.

"I missed you so much."

"I missed you too, Lena," Jeremy said, stroking his sister's hair.

When Elena pulled away, she saw a girl standing next to Jeremy. She was very pretty. She had olive skin, dark hair and a shy look on her face.

"Jer, is this your surprise?" Elena grinned at the girl.

"Yes, it is," he put his arm around the girl's shoulders. "Mom, dad, Elena- this is Bonnie. My girlfriend."

Bonnie smiled shyly, shaking hands with everyone.

"This is the first time he's brought a girl home so you must be very special, Bonnie," Grayson smirked, tapping Jeremy's back.

"She is special," Jeremy grinned. By the way he was looking at Bonnie, Elena could tell he's very in love.

"We're all really glad you're here, Bonnie," Miranda smiled at her sincerely. "You two came just in time for lunch! I made lasagna."

"Ooh, that's awesome! I'm starving!" Jeremy made his way to the kitchen.

"Well, that's something new," Elena teased, rolling her eyes.

* * *

"Hey, Miranda, I forgot to tell you. Giusseppe told me yesterday that he's son is getting divorced," Grayson said to his wife when Jeremy and Bonnie went upstairs to unpack. Elena was sitting on the couch between her parents, drinking coffee she craved so much since she got up.

"The older one? Oh, that's terrible!"

"Yes, the older one, Damon. Elena, you know him, don't you?" Grayson nudged her.

"No idea who that guy is, dad," she was telling the truth.

"Oh, come on, you know. Damon Salvatore, he's a couple of years older than you. He has a younger brother, Stefan. They both went to the same school you did," Miranda explained.

Elena dug through her head, trying to remember who that guy is. And then it hit her. "Oh, Damon the Jerk Salvatore? No wonder that poor woman left him."

"Elena! Watch your mouth! How can you say something like that?"

"Well, I remember going to school with him. He was awful. He tortured all of the kids in school. And when we were in high school, he was always drunk. Haven't seen him ever since, but I don't he's changed a lot," Elena shrugged.

"He did change. He owns that company, S&S. You must've heard of it," her father said, giving her a reproving glance.

"Yeah, of course I've heard of it. It's huge. They do advertising. I just never knew what S&S stands for."

"It stands for Salvatore and Saltzman. Anyways, Damon needs a good lawyer. So I might of mentioned to Giusseppe that you work in a great lawyer company…" Grayson had a guilty look on his face.

"You did what?!" Elena raised her voice. "Yesterday, you two complained how I work too much and now you're trying to set me up another case? Hell no!"

"Please, Elena, calm down. I didn't say you have to do it. Giusseppe is a family friend, I just wanted to help him."

Elena opened her mouth to protest more, but Jeremy and Bonnie came in the living room and just like that, everything was forgotten.

* * *

Klaus Mikaelson walked into the Lockwood lawyer company. It's been a long time since he last visited Tyler and even though he tried, he couldn't remember where his office is. He was searching for someone to ask for help when he heard a woman's voice behind him.

"Hello, can I help you?"

He turned around and came face to face with one of the most beautiful female creatures he's ever seen. Blonde curls were surrounding her perfect face. She had flawless creamy skin, big green eyes and a friendly smile spread across her mouth. He put on a casual smirk, like she just didn't swipe him off his feet. .

"Yes, thank you. I am looking for mr. Lockwood."

"Which one?" she grinned, not taking her eyes off of him.

"Both, actually. I'm their friend. Klaus Mikaelson."

"Well, Tyler's here now so you can go to his office. It's down the hall, the last door on the left."

"Okay, thank you very much, miss…"

"Forbes. Caroline Forbes," she said lightly as Klaus smiled at her and walked away.

"Okay, mrs. Anderson, I'll see you on Thursday. Goodbye," Elena hung up and let out a sigh. The big day is getting closer. If everything goes well on that trial, mrs. Anderson will get the custody over her children and that bastard of her husband will be punished. Elena was probably as nervous as her client was. She can do this. She can help that woman.

When she looked up, Elena saw Caroline talking to some hot guy in front of her office. He was blonde, tall and had dimples on his cheeks. Cute and sexy at the same time. When they were finished, Caroline rushed in her office. There was excitement all over her face.

"Did you see that guy?" she squeaked.

"Yeah, I did," Elena laughed. "Who is he?"

"His name is Klaus Mikaelson. He must be British because he has the accent. The accent, Elena! That's like… One of the hottest things I've ever heard! And that face… Oh my God, he's _perfect_," Caroline was jumping like a little kid. Elena watched her with amusement.

"Care… You should shut up now," Elena said slowly, smile disappearing from her face.

"Why?" Caroline asked, confused. When she noticed that Elena was looking somewhere behind her, she turned around. She opened her mouth in shock. Her cheeks turned completely red as she buried her face in her hands, shaking her head.

Klaus was standing on the door, smirk spread across his face. He almost burst out laughing when he saw Caroline's reaction.

"Caroline?" he called.

"Yes?" she muttered with her face in her palms. She was too ashamed to look at him.

"I was wondering… Would you like to have dinner with me?" he asked, pretending he didn't just hear Caroline's outburst.

Caroline peeked between her fingers, looking at him with astonishment. "Yes," she repeated, still covering her face.

"Brilliant," he smiled.

"So… Can I have your number, please?" Klaus asked after a couple of moments of silence.

Caroline nodded, but didn't move.

"Will you…give it to me?" Klaus was on the verge of laughing.

"I'll give it to you," Elena decided to intervene when she realized Caroline will be of no use. She wrote Caroline's number on a piece of paper and handed it over to Klaus.

"Call her," she grinned.

Klaus glared at Caroline one more time, laughing. "Oh, I will," he walked out of the door.

* * *

**The end! I hope you like it... *sighs* **

**More Delena to come in the next chapter! And some Klaroline, hopefully. **

**Please, review, let me know what you think! **

**Love you all xo**


	3. Business and vodka

_Hey guys! It's finally me! _

_I'm so sorry it took me so long to post this chapter, but I've been really busy with school and everything. I was also sick for a few days so that took my inspiration away for some time._

_Anyways, chapter three is here now and I really hope you'll enjoy it! _

* * *

Elena looked at her reflection in the mirror. She looked awful. Even though she put some makeup on in the morning, she couldn't hide the bags underneath her eyes, showing that she hadn't slept all night. Tiredness and stress was all over her face. Today was the day of the trial. Elena knew she shouldn't feel so nervous. She's done this a bunch of times. Her look dropped on her hands which were trembling. Partly because of the large amount of caffeine she put in her body today and partly because of the lack of sleep.

"You're a lawyer. You can do this," she said to herself, taking a deep breath.

She splashed some water on her face and fixed her messy hair before heading out of the toilet.

She opened the door and bumped into some man's chest.

"I am so sorry, I didn't see you…" Elena started to apologize. She shut her mouth when she looked up.

"Ooh, you came into the right bathroom this time. Way to go," he said flatly, that same smirk playing on his lips.

Elena couldn't help but stare at him. She watched him curiously.

This time, he didn't wear leather jacket and jeans like the last time they met. This time, he was in a black suit that fit him perfectly. Underneath it, he wore a formal white shirt and a black tie. He also put his hair in order, which wasn't a case when she saw him in MysticFalls.

Elena couldn't decide if he was more attractive like this or in the casual outfit. Both, she agreed.

When she realized that he's not taking his eyes off of her, she looked away, blushing.

"What the hell are _you_ doing here?" she asked boldly, trying to cover her shame.

"I could ask you the same question," he moved closer to her.

"I asked you first," she started playing his game.

He laughed lightly, putting his hands in his pockets. Once again, he decided to ignore her question.

"So, third time's a charm. Are you going to tell me your name now?"

"Nope," Elena said angrily, brushing his shoulder as she left. This guy really knew how to hit the nerves. And she didn't even know him.

Who the hell was he? And what was he doing in her company? Elena was eager to find out.

* * *

"He called!" Caroline barged in Elena's office, almost yelling of excitement. A huge grin was spread across her face and she was jumping up and down.

Elena raised her head, moving her look away from the papers. She looked at her friend and smiled.

"I'm sorry," the blonde gave her a look full of guilt. "I know that in couple of hours you're having one of the most important trials in your career, but…"

"It's okay, Care, don't worry about it," Elena cut her off. "I need a break anyway. Besides, I'm curios. Tell me!"

Caroline looked like she was about to explode when she was waiting for Elena's approval. She quickly sat on the chair across Elena and grinned.

"So… I didn't think he'd actually call me because I embarrassed myself SO much," she blushed, squirming in her seat, "so when he did call, I almost died. I mean, when I heard that British accent, OH MY GOD, Elena, I had no idea what to say. He did the most of talking and we're going out on Friday night and I have no clue what to wear! Should I dress casual or should I wear a dress or maybe a…"

"Caroline, stop." Elena laughed, allowing Caroline to catch a breath. "It's going to be okay. You're gorgeous, you're funny and smart and you know how to handle a guy!"

"But he's not just any guy, Lena… I think this one's a keeper." Caroline's face was serious, but she still had that dreamy look in her eyes.

Elena smiled at her and gently touched her hand.

She opened her mouth to say something when someone knocked on the door.

"Yes?"

Tyler's head appeared, peeking inside.

"Hey, girls. How's your day going?"

"Oh-oh. This doesn't soon good. You're being too nice," Elena said slowly.

"Um… Look, I've got a client here who wants to meet you. I know that you've got the Anderson case today, but it's just going to take a couple of minutes, I just want to introduce you. And don't ask me why someone else can't take the case because the client asked for you specifically."

Elena looked confused.

"Why would someone ask for me?"

Tyler shrugged like he has nothing to do with it.

"Okay, so I'm going to bring him in. And be nice, he's an important client," he pointed a finger at Elena who shot him a mean glare.

Tyler went out for a second and came back with a man. Elena stood up and opened her mouth to introduce herself, but when she saw the man's face, she went numb.

It was him. It was unmistakably him.

His face was unreadable. Elena couldn't tell if he recognized her or not, but she decided to play it cool.

When she realized her mouth was still open, she closed it quickly and put her professional face on.

"Elena, this is Mr. Salvatore. Mr. Salvatore, this is Elena Gilbert. She will be your attorney," Tyler said. It was obvious to Elena that he was sucking up, wanting to make a good impression because, after all, this guy was _an important client._

"Nice to meet, you, Mr. Salvatore," Elena said politely, shaking his hand. Her dad is going to pay for this.

"Nice to meet you, too. Oh, and, please, call me Damon," he said, gazing into her eyes and smirking. Even though she didn't want to admit it to herself, Elena felt electricity between the two of them every time they were looking into each other's eyes. And when their hands were touching, the electricity was even more powerful.

When he removed his hand from hers, Elena's hand felt like it was burning. Damon's eyes were still on her so she looked away because she thought she'd explode.

"Mr. Salvatore, do you want me to give miss Gilbert information about your case or would you like to tell her yourself?" Elena almost forgot about Tyler who was standing right behind Damon.

"I think I can carry on from here, thank you, Tyler," he replied without even looking at him. Tyler dropped his look and left Elena's office. Caroline followed him and Elena felt a rush of shame when she was left alone with Damon.

"Please, sit, mr. Salvatore."

"Damon," he cut her off, smirking. He slowly sat in the chair across Elena and crossed his legs, waiting for her to start.

Elena shifted in her chair, trying not to smile. She must be professional about this. She can't let anything that happened before get in the way. Because, as Tyler said, an important client was sitting in front of her.

Oh, she is so going to kill her dad.

"So… Damon," she looked up, still trying to be serious. "Can you tell me about your case? I'm not familiar with it."

Damon finally got serious, making it a little easier for Elena.

"Well, first of all, I want to apologize for coming here without any announcement and say thank you because you agreed on seeing me."

_Not completely true, _Elena thought. She just nodded, giving him an approval to continue.

"I know you must be very busy so I'm going to be short," he cleared his throat and sat up. "You see, I'm getting divorced. Me and my, well, soon to be ex wife have been married for 2 and a half years. She also wants to get divorced and it wouldn't be a problem if she wasn't planning to take all of my money. That's where you come in. I would like to get divorced from Katherine as soon as possible and it would be nice if I could do that without her robbing me. From what I've heard, you're the most capable person for that."

"Okay, I will need some more information so I believe we should set up another meeting," Elena said professionally.

"Yeah, sure. When does it work for you?"

"Is Monday okay? 11 am?"

"Of course. I'll see you on Monday. Thank you, miss Gilbert," he stood up and shook her hand one more time.

"No, thank you. And please, call me Elena," she smirked, letting go of his hand.

He looked at her one more time and turned around to leave.

As he walked away, Elena held her breath watching him moving slowly and graciously.

Damn, why did he have to be so irresistible?

* * *

"I love you. I will always love you," Elena heard a sound of the TV as she opened the door.

"No, he won't! He's telling you that just to screw you a few more times and very soon you'll find him screwing the bitch from the 3rd floor on his desk! Run, run far away and never look back!" Jenna was shouting from the couch, waving with a spoon which she used to eat ice cream.

"I love you too," a girl on the TV said.

"Oh, nooo! Now you're screwed!" Jenna yelled disappointedly.

Elena threw herself on the couch next to her cousin.

"Hi!" she wrapped her arm around Jenna and placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Elena, hi! I'm so sorry, I didn't hear you come in!" Jenna hugged her, smiling.

"I think that might be from all of your yelling…"

Jenna gave her an evil look. "Well, look at this pathetic movie! It's terrible! I don't even know why I'm watching it! It was supposed to take my mind off of Logan Fucking Fell, but it's just…"

"Hey, hey, hey…" Elena cut her off, seeing that she might crack. "I've got something that will help you forget him. I can see you're running out of your stash…" her look dropped on the half empty ice cream box, "so I brought some more!"

When Elena pulled out a couple of ice creams and a bottle of vodka from the plastic bag, Jenna's eyes glowed.

"You thought of everything, didn't you?" she grinned.

"Of course I did," Elena smiled. "Do you want to talk about it?" her smile dropped. She gently touched Jenna's hand.

Jenna rubbed her forehead, sighing. "No. Yes. I don't know. There's nothing to talk about... Logan cheated on me, we broke up, I quit my job and that's it."

"You quit?" Elena's jaw dropped.

"Of course. What should I've done? I can't work with him anymore. I can't even look at him again," she ran her fingers through her strawberry blond hair. Even though she was trying to cover it, Elena could see that Jenna's falling apart.

"Jenna... Talk to me."

She opened a vodka bottle and handed it over to Jenna.

After she took a sip straight from the bottle, she looked at Elena and started talking. "I don't know… I really thought this is going to work. I thought that I'm going to marry Logan one day, that we're going to have children, live happily ever after and all that crap," she rolled her eyes. "Because I was ready to do all of that. I mean, I'm 33. It's time for me to settle down and start living a normal life. But it looks like that's not going to happen very soon. It looks like I'm an idiot magnet. I can't remember the last time I was in a serious relationship. And now, when I thought I found the right person, I walked in at that same person banging some secretary. I'm starting to think that I'm the problem."

"You're not the problem, Jenna. You're perfect. You're beautiful, smart, funny and totally awesome. I mean, who wouldn't want _you_?"

There were tears in Jenna's eyes, but she smiled at Elena's words. She took another sip of vodka.

"Okay, enough about me, I don't want to talk about it anymore. How was your day?"

"Ugh, don't ask," Elena took the bottle from Jenna's hand and took a large gulp. "It was awfully exhausting, but also totally awesome. I had the Anderson trial today. The last one. And Mrs. Anderson got the custody over her children! I can't believe we made it… After so many sleepless nights and so much stress, we did it. No one believed I could do it. Hell, even I didn't believe I could do it. There still might be a couple of appeals from Mr. Anderson, but it's nothing I can't handle," a grin spread all over Elena's face.

"Wow, honey, I'm so glad that went well!" Jenna rubbed Elena's arm.

"Yeah, I'm glad too…" she let out a breath. "Okay, enough with the heavy topics. We have a load of ice cream and a bottle of vodka to finish," Elena smiled as Jenna handed her a spoon.

* * *

Caroline was standing in front of her building, checking her watch. It was almost 8 pm. Klaus should be here any second.

She ran a hand through her perfectly curled blond hair, sighing nervously. For a moment, she thought about coming back inside. But the thoughts disappeared as she pictured Klaus's perfect face in front of her.

Caroline spent the whole afternoon getting ready for this date. She had to look perfect. She wore a knee length blue dress and high heels which she bought just for the date. At the same time, she was super excited and freaking out. She can't embarrass herself again.

Just when she took her phone out of her bag to text Elena, a car pulled over in front of her. And not just any car. It was a limo. And Klaus was sitting inside, waiting for Caroline to join him.

* * *

**Ooh, Klaroline goes on a date! I wonder how that will turn out... **

**Let me just get one thing clear... Rebekah and Klaus are not related in this story. **

**I really hoped you liked this chapter! Review, let me know what you think! Your opinion means a lot to me.**

**Thanks to all of you who are reading this story, following, reviewing... I love you all!**


	4. Dates and flowers

_Hi guys! _

_I'm back, FINALLY. _

_I just want to say that I'm so,so,sooooo sorry for being such a bitch and letting you wait so long for this chapter! A lot has been going on in my life lately and I just didn't have time to work on the story. But now I'm back, my muse is back and we'll be kicking asses! _

_I just hope that you didn't give up on me and that you can forgive me. I promise that I won't keep you waiting so long anymore! Please don't hate me *puppy eyes*_

_Here it is, the fourth chapter. I hope you'll like it and, please, **review!**_

* * *

As the door opened, Caroline froze. What is she going to say to him? How is she going to act? She had no idea how to survive this date.

When Klaus came out, she held her breath. He stood in front of her, a sassy smirk on his face. He wore plain white shirt and dark grey suit which fit like it's made just for him.

"Hello, Caroline," he gently took her hand and brought it to his lips.

"Hi," she mumbled, hoping that he couldn't tell that her voice was shaking.

"Shall we?" he asked, offering her his arm. She took it and smiled at him. Caroline's heart was pounding like crazy when she felt the touch of his warm skin on her hand. She stepped forward to enter the limo and suddenly, she lost balance and started falling. Closing her eyes, she prepared herself for hitting the ground, but instead, she hit something else. She felt a pair of strong arms beneath her, holding her tight.

Caroline opened her eyes and looked up. Klaus was looking down on her with a smile that pointed out his dimples.

"Congratulations," she grinned, trying to cover her shame, "you just swept me off my feet."

* * *

"You look stunning, I must say," Klaus looked up, bringing a fork to his mouth.

"Thanks," Caroline sighed and took a large sip of her wine. "I'm glad that I at least look decent, since nothing else seems to be in my favor," her look dropped.

"What," Klaus looked confused, "are you talking about?"

Caroline put her fork down and looked at him. "Well, whatever I do, I only seem to embarrass myself whenever you're around. And you, on the other hand… You handle everything perfectly. I mean, just look at this," she waved her hand. "You pick me up with a freaking _limo_, choose the perfect restaurant, which is probably incredibly expensive, you're so charming and nice and everything… And what do I do? I can't even walk properly. It sucks," there was frustration all over her face.

Klaus didn't say anything, he just started laughing.

"Oh, you think that's funny?"

He nodded, still laughing.

Caroline shot him a mean glare, trying to stay serious, but she couldn't. She burst out laughing, shaking her head.

"Oh, Caroline," Klaus said, still laughing. "I don't need you to be perfect. I like you exactly the way you are. Even if that means that you're clumsy and paranoid and…"

"Hey! Stop right there!" she pointed a fork at him, smirking. He put his hands up, like he's giving up.

"Okay, okay. I just wanted to say that you don't have to try so hard to impress me because that's already done. I was impressed by you the moment I saw you."

She smiled, blushing. "Nice save."

He smirked, not taking his eyes off of her as he brought his glass to his mouth.

* * *

Elena took a sip of coffee, staring at her laptop. It was her third cup today and it wasn't even noon yet. She had a rough weekend and was still recovering from it. She went out with Matt for the first time in weeks and she got so wasted that he had to carry her home. All she remembers is going into a club and waking up in her bed in the morning. Elena's not used to party like that. She usually spends her weekends with her face buried in stack of papers. Her usual Saturday night consists of hanging out with a bunch of cases that need to be solved. But this time, she had reasons to celebrate and she loosed up a bit. And it didn't end well. She spent whole Sunday in bed, having the worst headache ever. Monday came too soon and she had to go back to her office.

Elena was so focused on her work that she almost didn't hear someone knocking on the door.

"Come in!" she yelled, having no idea who might it be.

As the door opened, she saw a tall, dark figure entering the office. And then she remembered. She had a meeting with Damon Salvatore today. A real meeting, without her spilling his drink, throwing up or falling off her feet.

"Mr. Salvatore. Hello," she stood up.

"I already told you, call me Damon," he smirked, walking casually toward her desk. This time he wore dark blue jeans and black button-up shirt. He shook her hand and sat down, leaning back in his chair.

"Can I offer you a drink?"

"Sure, but I don't think you have what I usually drink so I'll just have a glass of water, please."

Elena picked her phone up. "Megan, could you please bring us two glasses of bourbon? Thank you." When she was finished, she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back casually.

Damon was watching her with an amused expression. He leaned forward, staring in her eyes.

When he opened his mouth to say something, Megan came in carrying their drinks.

"To our cooperation!" he said, raising his glass, still piercing her with his eyes.

"So, you've already told me about your wife… Uhm, what is her name again?" she said after putting her glass down.

"Katherine. Katherine Pierce."

"Right, I'm sorry. So, miss Pierce wants half of your property, am I right?"

"Yes, that's true. I actually think that she wants more than half of it," he wiggled in his chair with a frown on his face. "You see, before we got married, we signed a prenup in which stands that, in the case of divorce, we split everything in half. I realize now that I was incredibly dumb for signing that, but her parents made me do that. I guess I loved her too much to deny it back then. Besides, I thought we'll never divorce each other. But things have changed." Elena saw a flicker of pain on his face as he was telling the story.

"Mr. Salva… Damon. You do realize that if you'd signed a prenup, you have to stick with it…"

"Yes, I do. But..." his voice pitched. "Katherine broke our deal. She was cheating on me. And in our contract stands that if one cheats on their partner, one loses all the rights on their partner's property. That way, Katherine would be left with almost nothing because she was broke before we got married. It's not like she doesn't deserve it."

"Well, that changes everything," Elena said, pleased with what she just heard.

"Actually, it doesn't," Damon interrupted, puckering his lips. "I have no proof that she was cheating on me. But I just know it. And I know that I probably sound like a crazy person right now, but I'm telling you the truth. I know my wife better than anyone. And I've noticed when she started acting different. I know that she was unfaithful, I'm sure of it. I'm going to find a proof and take Katherine down."

Elena watched him with a surprised expression. He was right, he did sound like a crazy person. But there was something in him that made Elena believe that he is telling the truth. He had that look of a hurt man.

"And I'm going to help you take her down," she heard herself talking before even thinking about it. She had no idea how she's going to make the court believe that Katherine broke the deal without any proof.

Damon smiled. "You sound very confident. I like it. But I'm going to ask you one more time. Are you sure of this? Are you sure you can help me?"

Elena gulped, staring at his serious face. She stayed silent for a couple of moments. "Yes. I am sure," she finally said, fierceness burning in her eyes.

"Wow, I can see why your father recommended you. You really are determined when it comes to solving the case. I like that. I am really happy that you are my lawyer, _Elena._"

"Not as much as I am, _Damon._"

"Well, I should get going. I have a lot of work to do and I'm sure you do, too," he slowly got up from his chair. "I'll e-mail you everything you need and I hope to see you soon," he said politely and friendly.

_Maybe he's not such a jerk after all, _Elena thought, smiling at him.

"Thank you for the drink," he said, turning around to leave. He stopped by the door. "Actually, no. You did owe me. Since you know, you kind of spilled one all over me," he said with victory written all over his face.

Oh, no, he did not.

Elena opened her mouth to say something in return, but by the time she thought of appropriate reply, he was already gone.

"Sassy bastard," she mumbled angrily when he was out of her sight. She was glad that he left because, if he stayed for another second, she would probably throw a sharp object at him.

* * *

Caroline was just finishing her lunch when she saw her assistant Jesse carrying an enormous bouquet of red roses.

"Caroline!" she heard his voice behind all the flowers. "This just came for you!" he handed it to her.

"Seriously?" she picked it up. "Who sent these?"

Jesse shrugged, looking confused. "I figured you would know."

When Caroline pulled the note out and opened it, she thought she might faint. There was a beautiful drawing of her on a small piece of paper. On the other side of the paper, there was a note: _Exactly the way you are. Truly and utterly beautiful. _

The note wasn't signed, but Caroline knew very well who sent it. She thought she probably looked like an idiot, standing there, in the middle of the hallway, grinning like crazy, but she didn't care. She's always dreamed of grand romantic gestures that are seen only in movies. She wished someone would do that for her some day since she was a little girl, but she lost hope ages ago. This was a proof that romantic men who care still exist.

"Care! Oh my God, are those from Klaus?!" she heard her best friend squeaking somewhere behind her.

She couldn't say a word so she just nodded excitedly.

"Wow! I guess that means that date went well," Elena was now standing in front of her, smiling.

"It was awesome!" Caroline exclaimed, burying her face in the roses, absorbing the scent.

"Oooh, that means there was some action," Elena wiggled her eyebrows, teasing Caroline.

"Elena Gilbert! No! Klaus is a real gentleman, I couldn't just get into bed with him after our first date," she was blushing like crazy.

"That doesn't mean you don't want to…" a naughty smile played on Elena's lips. Caroline clapped her shoulder, giving her a meaningful glare.  
"I want to take it slow with him, okay? Because I really think he's worth it. Stop teasing me!"

"Okay, okay, I'll stop. Soo… When are you seeing him again?"

* * *

When Elena came home, all she wanted to do was to crawl into her bed and sleep for days. Just when she took a shower and put on her pajama, she heard a doorbell. For a moment, she actually considered not answering it and pretending she's not home.

"Elena? You home?" when she heard Jenna's voice, she opened the door instantly.

"Jenna! Hi! What are you doing here?"

"Bearing some good news. And pizza." Jenna walked in the apartment, putting the pizza box on the table.

"Oh, thank God, I'm starving!" Elena opened the box and reached for a slice. "Oh, right! The good news. Tell me!" she said, mouthful of pizza.

Jenna laughed and took a slice herself.

"I got a job!"

"Really? Jenna, that's great. Where?!"

"S&S company."

Elena almost choked on her food. "You've got to be kidding me," she whispered, rolling her eyes.

"What?"

"Nothing, Jenna, I'm very happy for you," she was telling the truth. But this was just ridiculous.

Did Damon make his life goal to mess with her mind or what?

* * *

**AAAND THE END!  
**

**I hope you guys liked this chapter!**

**Let me know what you think, I'm ready for questions, comments, insults , everything. Just please, REVIEW.  
**

**Again, I'm really, really sorry that for keeping you waiting, but the next update is coming a lot sooner, I promise!**

**Love you all, xo **


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